MARTIN KEOWN

MY FA CUP FIFTH-ROUND VERDICT

AN AWFUL run of form last season saw Brighton win once in 14 Premier League games midway through the campaign but they reached the FA Cup’s quarter-finals. Chris Hughton’s side now find themselves with only one win in their last 11 league outings and, once again, they have got to the last eight. It is a difficult juggling act but Hughton, who won the FA Cup twice as a Tottenham player, will be desperate to fare better this year and hope for another home tie next.

WATFoRD made 11 changes in the previous two FA Cup rounds amid a busy winter workload but only five against Queens Park Rangers. What helped them win 1-0 at Loftus Road was that Javi Gracia named players who were determined to get that result and avoid an upset, such as Troy Deeney. The captain said afterwards they did ‘not want to be the ones who went out’. now, they will be one of six top-flight sides left in the last eight.